Hollywood studios, SAG at impasse after meeting

[July 17, 2008]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Hollywood producers and the Screen Actors Guild failed to reach a contract agreement Wednesday after meeting privately for two hours. The sides have no further meetings planned.

The meeting came a week after the union rejected what the producers called their final contract offer.

Representatives for both sides declined comment.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers has been calling on union leaders to allow actors to vote on a contract offer that it said would provide $250 million in additional compensation over three years. The guild has said the estimated value of the offer is highly inflated.

The producers said if the offer is not ratified by Aug. 15, any proposed wage increases would not be made retroactive to July 1.

Actors have been working under a contract that expired last month.

SAG, the largest and most powerful actors union, represents 120,000 actors in movies, TV and other media.

It is seeking greater compensation for DVDs, something neither writers, directors nor a smaller actors union could secure in negotiations.

SAG also wants more say for actors when they are asked to endorse products in scripted shows.

[Associated Press]

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